Wild Mushroom Ragout

OK, so I’ve got a huge pile of mushrooms – forty bucks’ worth, if you can believe it – and four people coming over for dinner. I didn’t see any recipes that were exactly what I had in mind for my ragout, so I devised my own. The result was crazy flavorful, and quite meaty in texture – I think we wolfed it down in five minutes flat. Here it is, for your viewing pleasure:

Put the dried porcinis in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Cover and let sit for about 25 minutes. Strain through cheesecloth, and reserve the liquid. Rinse and chop the porcinis.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet – or use two pans if necessary – over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Raise the heat to medium high and add the fresh mushrooms along with a light sprinkling of salt, and sauté for about 5 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Add the porcinis, herbs and wine. Cook until wine is reduced by half. Add ½ cup of mushroom soaking liquid. Reduce heat and simmer gently until the liquid is again reduced by about half. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve on soft polenta (c’mon, you don’t need me to tell you how to make that – follow the instructions on the box!)

The brussels sprouts were so huge, no one could believe it. Check out this photo of one in my hand. I didn’t use a formal recipe. I just cut them in half, tossed them with a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, some minced garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper flakes, and roasted them at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. The lemon really made the difference – the sprouts tasted zesty and bright, not dull as roasted brussels sprouts sometimes can.

Comments

Thanks again for the delicious, healthy meal. I had no idea that mushrooms could cost so much! Totally worth it though. And that apple crisp, I’m still salivating about it whilst eating my morning oatmeal.

elisa

Okay. This is great. You have me hooked, because, my absolute favorite meal is creamy polenta with wild mushrooms.
I had it at L’Impero (before it closed) and I levitated over the table while I savored it.
I’ll have to try it.

Ruth Reichl has a mushroom soup recipe that is great too.
I’ll have to find it.
Best of luck on the blog. I love it.

What you don’t mention about the brussel sprouts is how small your hands are.

Congratz on the blog. I look forward to great reading and great eating.

Wendy

I’m not going to start blogging, but I made a great “diet” meal for some friends a few weeks ago: my own receipe’s Salmon baked in foil, roasted root veges, butternut squash soup, and my extra-decadent fat-free creme brulee. It was not totally “carb” free, but it was as close to low-fat or no-fat as you can get (miminal added fat). You would love it and everything fits your criteria. I think it’s challenging and fun to step out of the comfort zone. Getting used to using herbs is essential. I’ve got to learn more about using Indian and Middle Eastern spices.

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Hi, I'm Cathy, and I came to a heart-healthy diet the hard way. Now I'm out to prove that heart-healthy doesn't have to mean boring. My recipes may be nutritious, but I refuse to sacrifice on flavor. So dig in!Read my story »